Oral irrigation devices have achieved consumer acceptance as an integral element of regular dental hygiene. The pulsating jets of water or other fluids generated by these devices serve to stimulate gums, flush debris from interdental crevices, power away plague and tartar, and generally freshen the teeth, gums, tongue, tonsils a d other oral surfaces. The primary limitation of these devices has been their substantial size, necessitated by the incorporation of an integral fluid reservoir. The reservoir must be large enough to accommodate sufficient fluid for a typical use, without requiring the user to turn off the device, lay the handpiece down, and refill the reservoir. This large reservoir has required the known oral irrigation devices to be rather bulky. This has discouraged many users who find it difficult to store the device in, for example, a bathroom. Moreover, users find it difficult or impossible to take the large device with them when traveling.
Thus, a need exists for an oral irrigation device that is more compact, and more portable, than those now available. Similarly, a need exists for an oral irrigation device that has a water reservoir that is easily cleaned, easily refilled, and easily replaced if necessary. The present invention achieves these goals.